– Super Bowl LIV was played on Sunday, February 2nd, 2020 between the San Fransisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs in Hard Rock Stadium, with the Chiefs topping the 49ers by a score of 31 to 20. Those stories, of course, will come in the coming episodes.MIAMI, Fla. It was the start of an incredible decade of hockey, highlighted by none other than the Stanley Cup title in 2018. The Capitals would win four straight division titles during that span, winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2010. Over the next four years, Washington would go on an incredible run. That, to me, was a great celebration of what was to come and the start of all this 'Rock the Red.'"Īlthough the Capitals lost the series, Beninati remembers that one moment as when the 'Rock the Red' era arrived. I thought the building was going to implode it was so loud in there.
#Reminisce on series
"I remember Game 1 of the series against Philly, Ovechkin had a late in the game steal, score and glass jump. "That building was unbelievably loud," Beninati said. "This is the emergence of the 'Rock the Red' era," Laughlin said. Capital One Arena, then known as Verizon Center, was filled to the brim in red. In the postseason, Washington hosted the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 1. "Seeing a happy Bruce Boudreau on the bench was amazing to me." "I just remember the last month and a half the team needing to rally as desperately as they could to win the Southeast Division title and ultimately going on a rampage down the stretch," Laughlin said. They won 11 of 12 games down the stretch to claim the Southeast Division title, earning a playoff berth for the first time in the Ovechkin and Backstrom era. Over the final month of the 2007-08 season, no team played better than Washington. The team was entering a new era and had a new look, too. It's also worth noting that the Capitals changed uniforms prior to the season, adding in a prominent red to the colorway. Nicklas Backstrom, a rookie at the time, was given a prominent role in the offense, particularly on the power play. Ovechkin scored a career-high 65 goals, a mark that still holds as his single-season most. Bruce Boudreau took over as head coach and changed the team's offensive style. "How does it help a young player with all of this pedigree, all these accolades, all these expectations? How does it help a young player to be in a losing situation, to grow up in something like that? You appreciate the eventual winning that is soon to come."Ī major turning point in Capitals' history occurred during the 2007-08 season. "His first two years, the Caps are a fifth-place team," Beninati said.
#Reminisce on professional
The Capitals finished last in their division in both of Ovechkin's first two professional seasons. However, while Ovechkin found instant success, his team did not. He immediately found success individually, as Ovechkin led all rookies in goals, points, power-play goals and shots. The left-winger made his debut in 2005 just weeks after his 20th birthday. It didn't take long for Ovechkin to make his way up through the Capitals organization to the NHL. "I look back on that time and I was just thinking, 'this could turn around a franchise,'" Laughlin said. "Is it Malkin or is it Ovechkin? Two incredible players, you couldn't have gone wrong." "For once, good fortune fell upon this franchise and they have the No. 1 overall pick and the chance to take Ovechkin, should they want. Washington struggled once again in 2004, but the lottery odds bounced the Capitals' way. The NHL disallowed it each time, leaving Ovechkin to be the top prospect in the 2004 class. That would be Russian winger Alexander Ovechkin, who excelled at the World Junior Tournament but was not eligible to be drafted until the following year.ĭespite Ovechkin not being draft-eligible in 2003, the Florida Panthers tried numerous times to select him.
He said the right things and then delivered in the net."Īs the Capitals fell to the bottom of the Eastern Conference in 2003, one prospect continued to catch their eye. And at first, Kölzig, although a veteran, was the face of the movement.
0 kommentar(er)
